MSc in Economics and Business Administration - Strategy, Organisation and Leadership

You will learn to combine theoretical insight with an understanding of the practical challenges of strategy, organisation and leadership. This will give you a better understanding of management in a world of continuous change, and of how actions at individual and group level relate to the broader picture of business strategies and society at large.

Content and Structure

Strong focus on practical theoriesThe SOL programme will have a strong focus on leading edge theories. These scientific theories are abstract, yet practical in the sense that they relate to organisations and their challenges. You will look at the organisations from many different perspectives and thus have a more holistic approach when working with theories in practice. The aim is to give you this holistic understanding of managing in organisations rather than provide you with tools. Tools of management are introduced in the programme, but as examples and not as directions for best practice. The aim is to provide you with understanding of how some tools perform in the big picture.

As organisations have different challenges, environment, network, cultures etc. you always have to look at the issues from many perspectives to get the best understanding of the organisation you are investigating/examining. And you will learn that there are many different views to the same problems or challenges.

This is the reason why you never find a definitive answer to organisational problems, and that is the reason why you will not end up with a management toolbox by studying the SOL programme.

The Big Picture of Strategy, Organisation and Leadership You will be prepared to solve complex and dynamic situations of leadership, and you will build up your analytical skills for dealing with problems and situations that are ill/badly defined, complex and ambiguous. You therefore get insight in to different perspectives on business strategies, by understanding different practices of strategising and how they address organisational and environmental challenges. Saying this, you will not learn tools on how to make a business strategy from a to z.

You learn about the present understanding of organisations, about organisations as actors in a broader society and thereby understand that organisations are all different. To handle problems in organisations and to be able to find the best solutions for each organisation, you need a broad knowledge and insight into many different perspectives.. It could be e.g. , how to mobilise resources in organisational growth, or it could be knowledge about what happens with group dynamics when organisations implement change and innovation processes.

You will learn about processes ranging from individual level, to groups, organisations and society, where you encounter topics such as strategy, identity, branding, innovation, organising, accounting, ethics, and leadership.

Structure

SOL is a two-year master’s programme divided into 4 semesters, with a quarter structure. The autumn semester runs from September through December with exams in October, December and January; and the spring semester from February through May with exams in April, May and June.

First and second semester consist of compulsory courses, third semester of elective courses and fourth semester finishes off the programme with the master thesis.

Additional options

In the second year you can apply to join the CEMS programme.You can also use part of your third semester to obtain a minor in one of the specialised minor programmes.